Appreciate everything, even the ordinary. Especially the ordinary. – Pema Chodron
Things I Miss. Vol. 2
Phew! We made it through stories of the hotel rebuild/remodel, which was a lot, but before we move to what’s to come at the hotel, I’ve been reflecting again on a few more of the things I miss about living at the hotel.
As I mentioned in Things I miss Vol. 1, there are some unique things about living at a hotel in the jungle of Costa Rica. Even though I’m not there anymore, it now makes me appreciate things in the concrete jungle of Chicago that I might not have been so appreciative of before.
So, let’s get to it!
Garden
Before we moved to Costa Rica, we had built a raised garden box in the yard of our suburban U.S. home, and we had lots of home-grown produce. Then we moved to Costa Rica, and one of the things I missed about our U.S. home was this garden. So, one of the things we built during the remodel was a giant raised garden box. It was built by the world’s best bartender, Vianney, and Mark’s brother, Don.
I wanted our hotel kitchen to use what we could from our garden. Unlike in Chicago where the garden season is very short, mid-May to early September, I quickly realized, the growing season in Costa Rica is non-stop! Tropical location, 2000 feet in the mountain for a bit cooler air. Yes, fresh garden produce year-round!
We had so many things in the hotel garden-kale, tomatoes, herbs, different peppers, lettuce, mustard greens and things I didn’t even know what they were until they grew! Flaco, our gardener, told me that you basically just stick something in the ground, and in Costa Rica, it’ll grow-and he was right!
The garden provided so much produce and was a great visual for our guests to walk by or through on their way to the dining room for their meals. I was proud of our remodel of the hotel, but I was prouder of our garden! (Thanks Vianney & Don!)
When we moved back to Chicago, more concrete than jungle, our apartment had no yard to really plant anything. For the 1st season, we did a few herbs-basil, cilantro and parsley in a pot, but I was missing other fresh vegetables, and growing things myself.
So, this year in Chicago, I decided that we would get a raised garden box! I don’t know how long we will be living here, but I didn’t want to wait anymore for a more permanent home because why wait when you can do it now!
We went to our local Home Depot, and instead of building it ourselves like in the past, we bought a to-be-assembled raised box, bought some kale, basil, tomatoes, and different pepper plants. As it’s now early August, we’ve had abundant basil, kale and jalapeños. Our peppers and tomatoes are on their way.
Is it my big garden in Costa Rica? No. But you know what? It makes me happy. It makes me happy that I can recreate a small garden, tend to it, and watch it grow. It makes me think of all the wonderful things our hotel garden is producing in Costa Rica and still feeding to guests even though I’m not there.
I appreciate this little ordinary garden box more than I thought I would, and definitely more than I would have in the past.
Did Costa Rica change me? Yes, I think it did.
Yoga Platform and Practicing Yoga Outdoors
After I went through yoga teacher training, I told Mark that I wanted to build a yoga platform at the hotel. Many guests come to Costa Rica and love to practice yoga outdoors with the beautiful natural surroundings. Many other luxury hotels in Costa Rica had platforms for yoga and I wanted one.
I led a few private yoga sessions for guests on a small deck in our hotel spa, and I told Mark I thought guests would love a platform and would pay for yoga at the hotel. We could offer retreats and have another little revenue stream.
So, after the whole remodel was over, months later, we built a yoga platform. Of course we did, because ya know, we apparently like building things!?! Haha.
To say I miss this platform is an understatement. The hotel yoga platform was my refuge. Practicing yoga outdoors on this platform surrounded by the sounds of the jungle, sometimes watching birds or monkeys travel by, and seeing the ocean was very peaceful for me.
I practiced alone, practiced with Mark, had the pleasure of offering yoga for our neighbors on the mountain and for hotel guests. That platform was my ‘happy place’.
When we returned to the U.S. and I started teaching yoga at a local studio, practicing indoors was something I wasn’t used to. Not having those views, and the calming sense of nature. But when the places I teach offered me a chance to teach outdoor yoga during the good weather months in Chicago, it was a ‘yes’ from me!
Is teaching outdoor yoga in a Chicago park my hotel jungle platform? No. But, it too, makes me happy. Happy to be outside, enjoying the beautiful summer weather, sharing yoga with others and remembering the feeling sharing yoga in the jungle.
Before Costa Rica, I might not have practiced yoga outdoors, but now I appreciate every ordinary week practicing outdoors with different sights, sounds and nature. I look forward to it and am grateful for the opportunity.
Did Costa Rica change me? Yes, it did.
Sunsets
Who doesn’t love a great sunset? I’ve seen sunsets in Florida, Portugal, Mexico, Chile, Hawaii and other places, but there is something about sunsets in Costa Rica that I certainly miss more than any other. Almost every night, I made it a point to be in the common area to watch each night’s sunset. They were the same, but different.
At times you could watch the whole, full, reddish sun fall toward the horizon and disappear. Sometimes you wouldn’t see the sun descend until it peeked out from behind the clouds, meet the horizon, and fall asleep on our side of the world.
During the rainy season when the sun wasn’t visible from the hotel’s common area during setting time, the colors of the sky from red, orange, yellow would signal the sun’s set that night. Unbelievable. I have hundreds of pictures on my phone of the sky at the hotel at sunset. It never got old.
Is there another beautiful sunset like in Costa Rica? No. But there are sunsets, many more sunsets. When I catch a glimpse of a beautiful one, it’s a gift. When there are ordinary ones, they are also a gift.
Did Costa Rica change me? Yes, yes it did.
A more laid back lifestyle
Never in my life have I been in a place surrounded by people who were so laid back! We weren’t the laid back ones, as you may have gathered from our stories about the construction.
Costa Rica’s way of life is Pura Vida. Pura Vida translates to “pure life”. It’s a Costa Rican philosophy that encourages us to appreciate life’s simple treasures- living a peaceful, simple, uncluttered life with deep appreciation of nature, family, and friends. Costa Rican’s live Pura Vida. If you’ve been there, you know.
They take things in stride, they don’t rush, they don’t get upset much, and they give glory and praise to God. They appreciate the ordinary!
Once in Costa Rica, I was waiting for our car to be serviced at the auto shop. In true pura vida form, even oil-changing isn’t rushed! While I was waiting for my car another gringo ex-pat became impatient and was bothering the receptionist about when their car would be ready. I also had been waiting longer than I wanted and I had other things to do, and sitting in the auto shop this long wasn’t in my plan!
Then, a shoeless, shirtless ex-pat casually walked in to wait for his car to find the other gringo huffing about his car, and me sitting ‘patiently’ although getting a little more impatient with the wait.
Even though he wasn’t Costa Rican, this ex-pat gringo said to the 1st man, “Hey man, tranquila (relax – take it easy), we are so blessed to live here!”
He was right! I pulled out my phone and wrote down his exact words! We are so blessed to live here. He was embodying the Costa Rican way of Pura Vida. Why rush? What’s the hurry? All things happen in time. I sat up and took notice.
I’m a type A personality, someone who (in the past) had to be busy, get lots done to feel successful. Why? Tranquila, man. I think about this now that I’m back in the U.S. if a sense of impatience rises -maybe waiting for an L train, or stuck in traffic, or waiting for our car to be serviced.
I can now appreciate these very ordinary situations and approach them with more tranquila. More pura vida. I get less impatient, less upset than I would’ve in the past.
Did Costa Rica change me? You bet it did!
Tranquila and Pura vida!
There's almost too many things to comment on in this one.
Your garden was AMAZING!!! I soooo wish we could do it like that at home, hey? Like Chicago, our Canadian season is sadly so short. I've grown tomatoes and the flavors are incredible compared to store bought.
Also...your sunsets. This paragraph: "Almost every night, I made it a point to be in the common area to watch each night’s sunset. They were the same, but different."
That was exactly me living in Jamaica as well. I had to drive 20 mins to the beach to see it go down but I did it nearly every evening. I miss those quiet moments the most ❤️
There is no such thing as ordinary